Review: Pebble Steel finally brings style to the smartwatch

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Comments

  • Reply 21 of 44
    tokoloshtokolosh Posts: 101member
    dasanman69 wrote: »
    You do know that Prada and Fendi, both outsource manufacturing to China when they're overwhelmed with orders? I wouldn't be surprised if the people entrusted to make the real deal are the same ones making the knockoffs.

    Sometimes it is the same factory. The day shift heads home as the foreign supervisors leave for the day, then the night shift fire up and pumps out the same stuff to be sold on the black market.
  • Reply 22 of 44
    djkikromedjkikrome Posts: 189member
    Someone is sure proud of those hairy arms. Lots of hairy arm pictures.
  • Reply 23 of 44
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by djkikrome View Post



    Someone is sure proud of those hairy arms. Lots of hairy arm pictures.

     

    What I notice even more than the manly arms in the photos is that the steel watchband is *still* so damn difficult to adjust that the model couldn't do so, and thus couldn't properly show off the watch. Or perhaps such nuances of fashion as good fit are passé.

  • Reply 24 of 44

    Does this Pebble smartwatch come with a stylus? I have large fingers, and using such a dimuitive touch display would be impossible without a stylus...  

  • Reply 25 of 44
    The more I look at this watch, the more doubtful I feel about an Apple one. I just can't get my head around what it brings to the table. Fitness and health, sure, but these seem so niche. What can be compelling, that can make us wonder how we ever did without it, like I did with my iPhone or iPad or wife?

    Mobile payments? Phone? Geolocation? Remote control?

    The iPhone was killer on many levels.

    The iPad had no killer app, but the form itself was the killer.

    What's the killer for wearables?

    I have an idea about what the Apple smart watch will be and, perhaps, won't be. I don't think it will be marketed as a watch. I think it will be sold as fitness gear. Fitness is no longer a "niche" market. It's massive. Go into any gym and look at all the armbands with iPhones in them. All athletes, wannabe athletes, people who care about their bodies, and those who want a cool, multifunctional gadget are all part of the market. I doubt we will see an iWatch. Let Pebble and Samsung struggle in that market. It will be harder to convince everyone they need a wristwatch than convince the fitness crowd to buy fitness equipment. As a fitness professional, given how fast I've seen the fitness community embrace trends, I know that Apple will get a heckuva lot of free advertising from personal trainers, nutrition specialists, dietitians, coaches, etc. I expect the "iWatch" will become the next elite, must-have, fitness item. $$$
  • Reply 26 of 44
    muppetrymuppetry Posts: 3,331member
    Does this Pebble smartwatch come with a stylus? I have large fingers, and using such a dimuitive touch display would be impossible without a stylus...  

    It's not a touchscreen.
  • Reply 27 of 44
    I dunno. Put this next to a Tag Heuer and we'll see how stylish it looks.
  • Reply 28 of 44
    I agree benjamin, I have been following smart watches for years, and recently I wrote an article about the new Samsung gear, however the issue I have is they look stupid when you pair them with a suit and tie combo, however this offering could be what myself a lot of other like minded business people have been searching for.
  • Reply 29 of 44
    james0378 wrote: »
    I have an idea about what the Apple smart watch will be and, perhaps, won't be. I don't think it will be marketed as a watch. I think it will be sold as fitness gear. Fitness is no longer a "niche" market. It's massive. Go into any gym and look at all the armbands with iPhones in them. All athletes, wannabe athletes, people who care about their bodies, and those who want a cool, multifunctional gadget are all part of the market. I doubt we will see an iWatch. Let Pebble and Samsung struggle in that market. It will be harder to convince everyone they need a wristwatch than convince the fitness crowd to buy fitness equipment. As a fitness professional, given how fast I've seen the fitness community embrace trends, I know that Apple will get a heckuva lot of free advertising from personal trainers, nutrition specialists, dietitians, coaches, etc. I expect the "iWatch" will become the next elite, must-have, fitness item. $$$

    The fitness market may be big, but it's not universal. But maybe Apple thinks it's a big enough market. I think Apple would argue that pretty well anyone benefits from either an iOS device or a Mac, but at best, I would have thought fitness is going to be less than 50% of the population compared to 90+% with iOS and Mac.
  • Reply 30 of 44
    The fitness market may be big, but it's not universal. But maybe Apple thinks it's a big enough market. I think Apple would argue that pretty well anyone benefits from either an iOS device or a Mac, but at best, I would have thought fitness is going to be less than 50% of the population compared to 90+% with iOS and Mac.

    The actual percentage is impossible for me to say and you could very well be spot on. We'll see. We just hear so much about fitness guys being hired and I think I heard that a fashion designer was hired. Even if that's the case, there's still plenty of room for this to be a wristwatch and not just fitness gear. Whatever the case, this is definitely a product that has the rumor mill churning like crazy. Whatever Apple comes out with might be something nobody expects. I have a feeling it's going make heads spin in the tech industry.
  • Reply 31 of 44
    muppetrymuppetry Posts: 3,331member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by james0378 View Post

     
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Benjamin Frost View Post



    The fitness market may be big, but it's not universal. But maybe Apple thinks it's a big enough market. I think Apple would argue that pretty well anyone benefits from either an iOS device or a Mac, but at best, I would have thought fitness is going to be less than 50% of the population compared to 90+% with iOS and Mac.




    The actual percentage is impossible for me to say and you could very well be spot on. We'll see. We just hear so much about fitness guys being hired and I think I heard that a fashion designer was hired. Even if that's the case, there's still plenty of room for this to be a wristwatch and not just fitness gear. Whatever the case, this is definitely a product that has the rumor mill churning like crazy. Whatever Apple comes out with might be something nobody expects. I have a feeling it's going make heads spin in the tech industry.

     

    It seems to me that the fitness market will be niche (but could be a large niche), and the health monitoring market will also be niche, at least to begin with until 24/7 health monitoring becomes a way of life (it probably will eventually). The larger potential market perhaps comprises those who either already wear a watch and would switch to a smartwatch with added functionality, or those who would start to wear one again to get that added functionality. In particular, the convenience and discreetness of not having to set a plethora of different alert sounds for different events, and then pull the phone out to check it every time it alerts/rings etc., will be a major draw for some people. As has been mentioned before, in situations like meetings, restaurants, while driving, playing sports etc., that functionality may be significant. I'm definitely looking forward to it.

     

    I personally think that the market will grow as people start to see the advantages, and that given that, historically, nearly everyone chose a wristwatch over a pocket watch for their timekeeping needs, there is no fundamental barrier to returning to a wearable device if it enhances or extends the smartphone experience.

  • Reply 32 of 44
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton View Post

    I dunno. Put this next to a Tag Heuer and we'll see how stylish it looks.

     

    Of course, put a £150 watch next to a £2000+ watch and compare style and build quality.
  • Reply 33 of 44
    rp2011rp2011 Posts: 159member
    If you like the cheap look of generic RadioShack disposable gadgets and the Pebble's uselessness, I guess the Pebble is OK, but the nicest most modern wrist device by far right now is the new Galaxy Fit..and far more useful.
  • Reply 34 of 44
    muppetry wrote: »
    It seems to me that the fitness market will be niche (but could be a large niche), and the health monitoring market will also be niche, at least to begin with until 24/7 health monitoring becomes a way of life (it probably will eventually). The larger potential market perhaps comprises those who either already wear a watch and would switch to a smartwatch with added functionality, or those who would start to wear one again to get that added functionality. In particular, the convenience and discreetness of not having to set a plethora of different alert sounds for different events, and then pull the phone out to check it every time it alerts/rings etc., will be a major draw for some people. As has been mentioned before, in situations like meetings, restaurants, while driving, playing sports etc., that functionality may be significant. I'm definitely looking forward to it.

    I personally think that the market will grow as people start to see the advantages, and that given that, historically, nearly everyone chose a wristwatch over a pocket watch for their timekeeping needs, there is no fundamental barrier to returning to a wearable device if it enhances or extends the smartphone experience.

    That's a pretty fantastic thought about people going from a pocket watch to a wristwatch. One idea that came to my mind while I read your response, and it's probably outlandish, what if they gave it a vibrate mode? I don't have a clue about how much space is required for that as I'm no engineer. For a meeting, though, a silent alert function (other than the watch lighting up) would be nifty.
  • Reply 35 of 44
    Dreadful hatchet job of a review.

    1) What do you expect from a leather bracelet. I've got one. It's well-stitched, supple, looks good and is comfortable.
    2) Steel bracelet. Same as I had on another watch - a Citizen Ecodrive costing far more - what did they want? Depleted uranium links?
    3) Stopped wearing a watch years ago. Now with Pebble I never leave home without one. The killer points - I get notified without my phone disturbing the entire office, I get turn by turn directions without pulling my phone from my pocket in the rain, I have a smart alarm and sleep tracking without getting a one job only fitness monitor.

    As for the app store - there is rubbish and gold on there. Like the very heavily curated Apple App Store. The most loved stuff on the Pebble App Store is generally pretty good.

    I've had a Pebble jet black which looked like a sports watch. I've now got a Pebble Steel Matt Black and I can honestly say it is nicer looking than anything I have bought up to twice the price. I like simple lines in a watch which probably puts me at odds with most of what I see in a jewelers window.
  • Reply 36 of 44
    muppetrymuppetry Posts: 3,331member
    james0378 wrote: »
    muppetry wrote: »
    It seems to me that the fitness market will be niche (but could be a large niche), and the health monitoring market will also be niche, at least to begin with until 24/7 health monitoring becomes a way of life (it probably will eventually). The larger potential market perhaps comprises those who either already wear a watch and would switch to a smartwatch with added functionality, or those who would start to wear one again to get that added functionality. In particular, the convenience and discreetness of not having to set a plethora of different alert sounds for different events, and then pull the phone out to check it every time it alerts/rings etc., will be a major draw for some people. As has been mentioned before, in situations like meetings, restaurants, while driving, playing sports etc., that functionality may be significant. I'm definitely looking forward to it.

    I personally think that the market will grow as people start to see the advantages, and that given that, historically, nearly everyone chose a wristwatch over a pocket watch for their timekeeping needs, there is no fundamental barrier to returning to a wearable device if it enhances or extends the smartphone experience.

    That's a pretty fantastic thought about people going from a pocket watch to a wristwatch. One idea that came to my mind while I read your response, and it's probably outlandish, what if they gave it a vibrate mode? I don't have a clue about how much space is required for that as I'm no engineer. For a meeting, though, a silent alert function (other than the watch lighting up) would be nifty.

    It has a vibrate mode. The silent alert is a big part of the attraction, in my view.
  • Reply 37 of 44
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by james0378 View Post



    That's a pretty fantastic thought about people going from a pocket watch to a wristwatch. One idea that came to my mind while I read your response, and it's probably outlandish, what if they gave it a vibrate mode? I don't have a clue about how much space is required for that as I'm no engineer. For a meeting, though, a silent alert function (other than the watch lighting up) would be nifty.

     

    The Pebble's alert is a near silent vibrate. It's perfect for meetings.

    I get alerts for calendar events, phone calls, text messages and emails I actually care about. All without looking at my phone. It's a perfect business tool.
  • Reply 38 of 44
    aaronjaaronj Posts: 1,595member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by dasanman69 View Post





    You do know that Prada and Fendi, both outsource manufacturing to China when they're overwhelmed with orders? I wouldn't be surprised if the people entrusted to make the real deal are the same ones making the knockoffs.

     

    Oh, they definitely do.  But nowhere near the amount of care is put into them.

  • Reply 39 of 44
    rp2011rp2011 Posts: 159member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by sog35 View Post

     



    lol.

     

    The galaxy fit that has the screen in the wrong orientation?


    The orientation is fine, but the Pebble is still tacky useless garbage.

  • Reply 40 of 44
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    aaronj wrote: »
    Oh, they definitely do.  But nowhere near the amount of care is put into them.

    Do something enough times and the care just comes naturally. Believe it or not but there's levels of knockoffs, some are obvious clones while others aren't so easy to discern the difference.
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